'How did you buy road?' HC poser stumps builder

Sobha Developers, which is accused of encroaching on a road to build the boundary wall of its apartment complex ‘Sobha Daffodil Condominium’ in HSR Layout, was stumped in the High Court on Friday. The court had a poser: “How did you buy the road?”

Hearing a writ appeal by residents of the apartment complex, a bench headed by Chief Justice S K Mukherjee asked how did the developer purchase the road. The wall encroaches upon a 10.06-metre-wide road that leads to HSR Layout and Haralur Road, southeast Bengaluru.

Representing the residents, senior counsel K G Raghavan argued that the road was part of the apartment complex and that a sewage treatment plant and children’s play area were located on either side of the road.

Some residents, who were present in the court, heaved a loud sigh at the argument. The Chief Justice was not amused and asked the counsel how the road was purchased. Justice Mukherjee’s poser drew loud cheers and claps by some people who were apparently seeking to reclaim the road.

The Chief Justice got annoyed and bawled them out, “This is not a Bollywood movie for everyone to cheer and clap.” The judge ­asked those making noise to leave the court hall. “Bollywood movies have misrepresented court proceedings wherein a witness comes in all of a sudden and starts giving his statement before the court, these things are not allowed,” he remarked.

The BBMP intended to demolish the wall after a survey found it encroaches on the road. It served notices on Sobha Developers and residents. But the residents got the demolition stayed by a single bench of the High Court. The BBMP got the stay vacated and on August 3 went ahead with its demolition plan. The residents managed to get another stay in the nick of time.

Advocate K N Puttegowda, appearing for the BBMP, contended that as per the builder’s plan, the road belonged to the public and the wall was inconveniencing them. People have to travel four kilometres to reach the other side of the road. The bench ordered status quo until August 24.